The Walk Home
by tjbarber09
Summary: Gilbert Blythe has returned to Avonlea school and meets the sweetest girl he's ever met. Because of his father's instruction to treat ladies with respect, he resists the temptation to call her "Carrots". A beautiful friendship bloomed because of it.
1. The Return Home

**To all of my previously ignored fans, I have returned! \o/ **

**Yes, I know it's been over two years since I last posted here but I've had a LOT happen in those two years! Please forgive me for being a total jerk and letting this story collect dust. It's been about two years since I've even looked this story over so I'm kind of re-releasing it like a George Lucas film: Revised grammar and sentences that don't work well are being re-written. I've learned that art is only art if it's done like you really care about it. It shouldn't take us long to get back to where we were though because I still have all the files and I can edit fairly quickly. I'll also include a lyric from a song that applies to the chapter, but if you guys think that's cheesy please tell me. ;) **

**And with that being said, you can now reach me on Twitter! My Twitter name is tjbarber09, so please review this story and then if you're on Twitter please send me suggestions, tell me the story is awesome, or tell me I'm full of crud. I've also changed my pen name from ulimatelifeform22 to tjbarber09, so it's all consistent. Either way, I hope you enjoy the story and God bless! =) **

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_I saw the autumn leaves peel up off the street,  
Take wing on the balmy breeze and sweep you off your feet.  
You blushed as they scooped you up on sugar maple wings,  
To gaze down on the city below, ablaze with wondrous things.  
Downy feathers kiss your face and flutter everywhere.  
Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn't want to live there._

_~ "The Real World" by Owl City_

_Chapter 1:_

Gilbert Blythe sat on his seat and stared blankly at his reflection in the window as he felt the soft bumps of the train against the tracks. He was finally returning home.

"_Home... Finally..."_ Gilbert whispered to himself quietly enough so that nobody could hear him (lest they think he was a lunatic). It had been four years since he had slept in a bed he could call his very own. His father had been diagnosed with a bad case of consumption when Gilbert was only twelve, causing them to leave their home and go live with Gilbert's grandfather on the far side of Prince Edward Island near the ocean. The doctor's told his father, John Blythe, that the fresh air would be good for his lungs.

Well, John Blythe was now as jumpy and active as a ten year old boy and was quite ready to return home. Gilbert was excited and a bit nervous because he had not been attending school regularly ever since they left, causing him to be far behind in his studies compared to a normal sixteen year old boy.

The train gradually started slowing down as it got closer and closer to the Avonlea train station. Gilbert knew that their journey was finally coming to an end.

"Gilbert, are one of my hand bags behind your suit case?" Gilbert's mother asked as they started collecting their luggage once the train had come to a complete stop. The last few moments of hearing the lumbering iron monster chug along were agonizing as Gilbert looked on at people he would soon be calling his neighbors.

"Yes, mum. It is." Gilbert responded to his mother's inquiry after a quick glance behind his suit case.

"Be a sweetheart and hold onto it for me, won't you dear?"

Ugh. Those words. He never really did enjoy being called those ewey-gooie sentimental names. It made him sound like some kind of baby. He was sixteen years old and had the natural sixteen year old boy's desire to be treated like a man. However, there was nothing better for Gilbert to do except brush away his fleshly contemplation about the childish nickname. He brought his thoughts back down to earth and focused on working his way out of the train.

"Yes, mum, I'll be glad to."

Gilbert didn't really didn't pay much attention to what happened around him once they got off the train. Instead, he focused on the beauty of the things around him. He had never really known that the little humdrum town called Avonlea was so beautiful! All his life he took this indescribable beauty for granted, and now it came rushing upon him like a flood.

_Thank you for this beauty, Lord. _He quickly prayed as he looked upon his surroundings in awestruck wonder.

Gilbert had heard from his mother that one of his cousins (probably twice-removed or something) was supposed to pick them up in his horse and buggy from the train station. The same cousin had been keeping the Blythe farm running for them while they were gone, but he wasn't exactly what you would call the most inspirational character. Gilbert was polite when he arrived, said hello, and then returned to his deep thoughts.

_What if the other kids at the school laugh at me? I'll probably be three grades behind what I should be, and they'll talk about how stupid Gilbert Blythe is. Well, I won' t care what they say. I'll just show them how good I am at three-legged races. _

Gilbert had always been quite proud of how he could beat anyone in a three legged race, even if he had the lousiest partner on this side of Halifax. He thought that if he got paid a dollar for every three-legged race he was in (and if there were enough three-legged races), he might become the richest boy in all of Canada. The only thing he was prouder about than his skill with races and balance were his good looks. Every girl in Avonlea would give their right arm if Gilbert would only walk them home from school or prayer meeting... At least he thought they would.

Ok, honestly, he really hoped they would.

It didn't take long for the Blythe family to get settled in their home again, especially since that cousin-whatever-his-name had taken good care of the farm and the cherished strawberry-apple orchard. The house was in need of a good dusting, but besides that it was also in good condition.

The house was quite beautiful with its brown doors and shutters. When you walked into the back door (which was the door they commonly walked into. Gilbert always wondered why you had a front door and a back door if you never used the front one) you went directly into the kitchen near the family table that was made out of maple, which gave it a beautiful color. At the end of the table and to the left there was the small kitchen that his mother adored. On the right side was the den, and it was Gilbert's favorite room in the house.

He always loved being in the den when he was younger because you always saw how gorgeous the sunsets were in their sparkling array. The sun would slowly sink into the West and give its encouraging and gentle warmth to Gilbert, which made that room the most fun to read an adventurous novel in.

Many old friends came to greet the Blythes, one of them being Mrs. Lynde. Now Mrs. Lynde was the kind of person that knows about everything and everyone in Avonlea, and she certainly didn't mind telling people about it.

In plain words, she was the town's gossip.

Gilbert's mother and Mrs. Lynde were very happy to see each other (and of course, Mrs. Blythe needed to know about all the events that occurred in Avonlea during the past four years), even though they had had a few arguments with each other in their past. They didn't _really_ get talking until Mrs. Lynde had been told all the news about Gilbert, commented about how handsome he was, and "did declare he looked near a half-foot taller!"

Honestly, Gilbert didn't pay much attention to Mrs. Lynde and his mother as they chewed the fat for near an hour. He didn't when he was younger and he had no reason to do so now, but suddenly Mrs. Lynde said something that perked Gilbert's interest:

"Marilla Cuthbert had adopted an orphan. I told her she was crazy and didn't know a thing about raising children, that's what. She such a homely looking little thing, with hair that's red as carrots! Oh, and such a temper!"

Gilbert looked out the den's window. A green house. Green Gables. Mr. Matthew Cuthbert's house! They would see each other everyday driving the cows back in! And Marilla Cuthbert was his sister! Memories started rushing back into Gilbert's like a flood.

_Will he even remember me?_

This girl that Mrs. Lynde was jabbering on about continued to interest Gilbert, even though he made himself look like he couldn't care less. When Mrs. Lynde started talking about how this little creature talked her head off, used words she probably didn't know the definition of, how she lives in her own little world, and how she "never keeps her mind on solid ground". Gilbert thought that this little girl must be either absolutely crazy or just plain misunderstood.

_Probably crazy. _Gilbert thought to himself.

Mrs. Lynde and Mrs. Blythe continued talking as Gilbert zoned out and started thinking about the changes that had been made in his life so far. As the minutes past, he began thinking of the new adventures the next day could bring him.


	2. The Trials of an Orphan

**Here's the next round, folks! Weekly updates like the old days. ;)**

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_"You, with your words like knives  
And swords and weapons that you use against me  
You have knocked me off my feet again  
Got me feeling like I'm nothing  
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard  
Calling me out when I'm wounded  
You picking on the weaker man"_

_~ "Mean" by Taylor Swift_

_Chapter 2:_

The sweet, special girl with the plain and unromantic name of Anne Shirley toyed with the lace at the end of her pillow as she went over the horrible events of the past week. Her new life had started in a terrible way, and it seemed like that life wouldn't even begin on that first day.

_No __boy! __But __there __must __have __been __a __boy.__We __sent __word __to __Mrs. __Spencer __to __bring __a __boy. _Anne heard those piercing words again in her mind again and tried hard to brush them away.

_You don't want me? You don't want me because I'm not a boy?_

_Did Mrs. Spencer bring anyone besides yourself?_

_She brought Lily Jones for herself. Lily is only five years old and she is very beautiful. She has nut-brown hair. If I was very beautiful and had nut-brown hair would you keep me?_

_No. We want a boy to help Matthew on the farm. A girl would be of no use to us._

Oh, how Anne had always wanted a home to call her own. It was one of the things she dreamed of the most. She had come so close to reaching her dream, but she was rejected because she was a weaker vessel. Thankfully something happened to Marilla and Matthew because they decided to put Anne on a trial: To see if she would enjoy living with the two of them and to see if Matthew and Marilla could handle her.

Oh, and Mrs. Lynde. Anne had decided to try as hard as she could to love her neighbor, but it was so hard after what Mrs. Lynde had said to her.

_Well, they didn't pick you for your looks, that's sure and certain. She's terribly skinny and homely, Marilla. Come here, child and let me have a look at you. Lawful heart, did any one ever see such freckles? And hair as red as carrots!_

Anne went to Mrs. Lynde's house earlier that day and had apologized for retorting, yelling out for all the world to hear in tears that Mrs. Lynde was a "rude, impolite, unfeeling woman" and that she hated her. Nobody ever really knew Anne for her self-control.

Anne had apologized and had been forgiven, and she forgave Mrs. Lynde even though there was no apology from her. Those words still hurt Anne.

A tear slowly slipped down Anne's freckled cheek. She had tried to hold it back but it seemed to come down of its own free will as her little chin began quivering and the tears began to come freely. Why did she have to have red hair?

The poor little red haired orphan cried herself to sleep, dreaming of a day when she could have a home with people that loved her. She hoped and prayed it would be right here in Avonlea, at the sweetest house in the world: Green Gables.


	3. A Caught Eye and a Life Changed

_"Tell me again was it love at first sight  
When I walked by and you caught my eye.  
Didn't you know love could shine this bright?  
Well smile because you're the deer in the headlights."_

_~ "Deer In The Headlights" by Owl City_

_Chapter 3:_

One thing had to be said for Gilbert: He was never at a loss for friends.

It was an absolutely beautiful Sunday on Prince Edward Island. The sky was blue, the wind was rushing through the trees, and robins called to each other from their nests. For Gilbert, the best part about the day was the church picnic. It was going to be a satisfying change for Gilbert because he always thought Sundays were monotonous.

The church body met at Mr. Barry's home. The decorations were very elegant, the food was delicious, and the games were quite fun. Gilbert didn't hear much of Mr. Allen's sermon because he was thinking about his favorite game. It was just a game, but in his mind it was more of a battle he had to win.

That game was none other than the three-legged race.

Gilbert ran around Mr. Barry's property looking for a good team mate. He dodged a couple ladies and practically ran over poor Charlie Sloane when he accidentally knocked him to the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Gilbert apologized as he helped his comrade back to his feet.

"It all right Gilbert, just be careful. If I been a girl you would have gotten into a lot of trouble just now." Charlie said in a weak attempt to give Gilbert a lecture.

"Well, I don't think anyone will mistake you for a girl." Gilbert joked, "Say, do you have any idea where Fred is?"

"Yeah, he's over there." Charlie said as he pointed towards the starting line, "He's my teammate."

"You're kidding." Gilbert said in astonishment. He had asked almost everyone, with the results being that each said that they were either not playing or already had a teammate.

"Nope, but if you're looking for a teammate I just saw Moody Spurgeon back there." He said as he pointed towards a table near the Barry house. Moody hadn't been diligent in looking for someone to play with since there were still cookies on the table. "He had been looking for someone to play with, but he may have become occupied with those deserts." Charlie said with a silly grin.

"Okay, thanks!" Gilbert said as he ran off towards Moody.

"Marilla gave me strict instructions not to talk your head off, but I do have a habit of chattering on so. Why, if I imagined myself as a bird a magpie would be the closest thing I could resemble." Anne Shirley said, as if the world was going to end before she could finish her sentence. She could change subjects so fast that it made poor Diana Barry a bit dizzy. Good-natured Diana just gave a soft laugh and continued walking with her new companion.

Anne had always wanted a close friend, but not just any close friend. She had always wanted a "bosom friend". Everyone she met had said that Diana Barry was such a sweet girl, and Anne knew from the moment she saw her that Providence had meant for them to be friends since before time had begun.

Anne looked out in the distance and saw a three-legged race about to begin. Anne had always wanted to be part of a three-legged race, but she never had anyone to be her partner.

"Oh Diana," She said wistfully, as if all the beauty of the earth had been put before her. "I've always dreamed of being in a three-legged race at a picnic! Would you do me the honor of being my partner?" She begged as she clasped Diana's hand in her own.

After a slight pause of shock, Diana was finally able to speak.

"But there aren't any other girls in it." She said slowly, hoping that her mother would not scold her if she found out. She knew she would be in for it if she fell down and got a grass stain in her new pink dress.

"You're a sturdy looking girl and I'm fast! I know we could stand a chance." Anne insisted.

"I guess so." Diana said as she slowly started to succumb to the temptation.

"Come on!" Anne said as she ran off, still holding on to Diana's hand. Diana didn't have time to fully succumb to the temptation. She was in this whether she liked it or not.

_Oh, I hope Mum doesn't find out. _She thought to herself.

Well, Gilbert was finally able to get Moody. Once he found him and asked if he wanted to be his teammate, Moody quickly accepted "after I finish this cookie".

They barely made it.

They quickly ran back to the starting line, grabbed a ribbon, and started tying their legs together. Anne and Diana came right about the same time Gilbert and Moody did and started doing the same thing. Diana felt much better about herself since her father had seen her and smiled. If her mother was going to be angry, at least her father would be able to defend her case.

Gilbert looked up after tying he and Moody's legs together and saw the girls. He knew Diana from school, but this other girl was new to him.

_Marilla Cuthbert has adopted an orphan. I told her she was crazy and didn't know a thing about raising children, that's what. She such a homely looking little thing, with hair that looks like carrots! And such a temper! _Gilbert remembered Mrs. Lynde saying.

_She doesn't look crazy. _Gilbert thought. _She looks very kind. _

He remembered the conclusion he had come to about her and thought that he must have been the crazy one.

"Hey Diana, who's your friend?" Gilbert tauntingly asked Diana.

"Anne Shirley." She said icily. Diana really thought that Gilbert was the handsomest boy in school, but she would die before she let him know.

Anne looked up when she heard this and met Gilbert's smiling face. She kindly smiled back and then watched Diana tie a knot around her ankle as she pretended not to notice Gilbert.

_It's too bad I have to beat her. _Gilbert thought to himself. Gilbert was forgetting his Sunday school lesson from a couple weeks ago:

"Pride cometh before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction."

Anne and Diana stood up and put their arms around each other as Mr. Barry was about to give the start signal. Gilbert snapped back to reality and did the same with Moody.

"On your mark..." Mr. Barry started.

_What is a girl doing in a three-legged race anyway?_

"Get set..."

_I hope it doesn't hurt her to bad when she loses._

"Go!" Mr. Barry yelled as he fired his pistol into the air.

Life started to go by in slow motion for the two pairs of friends. Anne was still clinging to a hope that she and Diana might win while Gilbert was clinging to the hope that Anne wouldn't be hurt when she fell down.

Gilbert and Moody certainly got a good start. They both put their legs out at the same time and were able to do some quick moves. Anne and Diana made a little stumble when they first got started, but they picked themselves up quickly.

There were many kids falling all around them. Plump Fred Wright and Charlie Sloane were the first ones to fall, which wasn't a surprise to anyone. Charlie took a large step forward with his free leg while Fred tried to take a large step with his tied leg, sending Charlie to the ground with poor Fred right behind him.

_I'm doing okay so far, I just need to pick up this pace a little bit. _Gilbert thought to himself as he began to thrust himself forward with greater speed.

Unfortunately, Moody didn't play three-legged races very often and didn't accelerate with his partner. Chaos ensued while time slowed down to a crawl as Gilbert tripped and fell to the ground with a thud. The last thing he saw were Anne and Diana running past him.

_I can't believe it. _Gilbert thought to himself. He NEVER expected this. He had won the last six three-legged races he had been part of!

"Moody, are you ok?" Gilbert asked.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. My foot is a bit sore, but it'll be okay once we get this ribbon off." Moody responded.

Anne was having the time of her life. She had known that they had a chance, but she never expected to get this far!

"Diana, we're almost there!" She exclaimed in excitement to her friend.

Gilbert could do nothing but just sit there and watch them run.

Anne and Diana ran past the finish line with the wind flowing through their hair. Many people were there to meet and congratulate them.

Gilbert looked at Moody with a "This is ridiculous" look on his face. The latter just shrugged his shoulders and continued untying their ribbon.

Gilbert would have been very disappointed had it been another pair of boys that had beaten them, but he was kind of proud of the two girls. However, he was just trying not to show it so he wouldn't let Moody off the hook. He _was_ the one that made them lose.

Anne and Diana hugged each other with the brightest smiles on their faces after Mrs. Allen pinned red ribbons on their dresses.

"Who would have thought that a daughter of mine could outrun the boys?" Mr. Barry said as he put an arm around his daughter, his face almost as radiant and the girls' faces were.

Anne looked back at Gilbert with a smile playing on her lips. Not a taunting smile, but a very sweet smile. Gilbert smiled back and nodded his head, causing he to quickly turn her head and toy with her ribbon.

Anne and Diana sat in one of Mr. Barry's little boats and relaxed after their triumphant victory, soaking in the wonderful Sunday afternoon's sun.

"I think we're heroic winners, don't you Diana?" Anne asked with a smile.

"Well, I think it's a shame Gilbert had to lose on account of Moody." Diana said as she gazed into the water, "Don't you think Gilbert is handsome?"

"Yes, I think he's very handsome." Anne honestly replied, "I do think that he must be a kindred spirit."

"Oh Anne, he teases me and the other girls all the time. He has a special name for me. Do you know what it is?" Diana asked as she leaned towards Anne, as if she didn't want anyone to know.

Anne shook her head in anticipation.

"Crow Head!" Diana giggled, "I don't really care. None of the other girls do either, but some of the names he gives us are funny."

Anne smiled playfully.

"He's sixteen but he's in our class. His father's been ill and he's been away for four years." Diana explained.

"Good." Anne said, but then explained when she saw Diana's shocked face. "I mean, I don't want to be the only one that's behind in school."

Diana looked to her left and at a boat quite a few yards away.

"That's Mr. Philips, our school teacher." Diana explained, "He's dead-gone on Prissy Andrews. He moons over her something terrible." Diana said with a giggle.

Diana looked a few degrees to the right at another small boat filled with three girls about her age. Anyone passing by would have known they were being more than a bit foolish.

"That's Josie Pye." Diana said in a disgusted tone, "She moons over Gilbert."

This Josie was foolishly trying to grab a large, green lily pad by leaning over the edge of small boat and coming very close to falling into the deep green pond. She was close but needed to be a little bit closer… just lean over a bit more… SPLASH!

Diana just sat there and laughed while a quiet Anne sat there and watched the other girls help Josie back up onto the boat.

"Oh, that Josie! I hope she nearly drowns." Diana said in an unfeeling tone.

Anne thought for a while and then finally spoke:

"I wish I were in her place. How romantic it would be to nearly drown!" Anne exclaimed, as if drowning herself was to be her goal in life.

Practical Diana secretly thought this was a bit silly, but this was only to be one of the many funny and imaginative speeches she was to hear out of little Anne Shirley. It was something she loved about Anne and it made Diana love her more just for who she was.

"Some people have told me that you were a strange girl, Anne." Diana told honestly, "But I think we're going to get along very well!" Diana's face lit up in excitement at the through.

Anne smiled brightly at Diana. She was absolutely sure that this was the best day of her life: She made a new friend, she tasted ice cream for the first time, and she won the three-legged race.

Anne wistfully looked towards the setting sun and wished this day would never end. She would never had admitted it if you had asked her, but in her heart of hearts she did want to meet Gilbert.


	4. The Anticipated Meeting

_"There's only time to live our lives  
And you'll be the one who's by my side  
And I can promise you then  
You'll always be my best friend_

Till the end when we part  
I will give you my heart  
And I'll promise to love you with all that it is  
And I'll promise to be there whenever you need me  
Because you'll always be my best friend"

_~"You'll Always Be My Best Friend" by Relient K_

_Chapter 4:_

It was a damp, boring, foggy Monday morning as Gilbert Blythe walked down the road towards the Avonlea school. Gilbert had a hard time concentrating on the day ahead. His thoughts drifted between he and Moody's failure in the three-legged race. He also noticed how his mind always came back to Anne Shirley, with her fire-like hair and pale-green eyes that seemed to dance in the sunlight like the refraction of water.

He turned his head and gazed at Green Gables as he slowly passed it. Mr. Cuthbert was probably out in the fields at this time and Miss Cuthbert was probably cleaning the house. Mrs. Lynde told his mother that she had never seen hardly a speck of dust in the Cuthbert home with how much Miss Cuthbert cleaned. Mrs. Lynde had also found out that Anne was staying with the Cuthberts on a trial period, to see if she could be properly brought up and if they could all get along in harmony.

He hung his head again and he continued his trek down the dirt road. He tried to think about the rest of his day again. The schooling, the recess, and the treacherous homework for when he got home. He thought for a while that all the life had faded out of the rest of his day.

He was quite wrong.

He lifted his head and looked in front of him. All he saw was the long, twisting and foggy road, be he heard a couple of girlish voices around the bend in the road. He couldn't make out what they were saying, and he had an idea of who one of them might be. He had a hope for the other voice that he didn't recognize.

He picked up his pace a little bit to see them before they turned the corner. He wanted to see them, but he certainly didn't want to risk getting into an awkward situation. He didn't want to disturb the friendly conversation.

It had to be Anne.

Gilbert took the bend and saw Diana Barry and the redheaded girl he was hoping to see. Gilbert sighed with a smile of relief. So she was coming to school! Maybe he'd get a chance to meet her...

Gilbert didn't get to close, lest they notice him. He knew of a shortcut further up the road and he was planning to take it. He did listen closely to see if he could hear what they were talking about. He heard his name mentioned a couple times and might have heard Charlie Sloane's once, but besides that he couldn't make anything else out except giggles.

Gilbert smiled and took the shortcut towards the schoolhouse. He hoped he could meet Anne later that day.

Mr. Phillips rapped on his desk with his yellow pencil to get some of his rowdy students to shut up. Some small joke had been played on one of the younger students, and it could not be said that the Avonlea school was beyond laughing.

"What is your name?" Mr. Phillips asked a certain thirteen year old redhead.

"Anne Shirley. Anne spelled with an 'e'." Anne replied cheerfully.

She really wanted to make a good impression on her teacher, but he was a closed door when it came to any of his students' feelings. He didn't really care anything about his job except for his paycheck, his honor, and Prissy Andrews. In that order.

"We pride ourselves on our scholastic records." Mr. Phillips was saying before a few students laughed at this. He silenced them all with an icy glare. "And I hope you strive to meet our standards."

"Oh, this is wonderful!" Anne exclaimed, "I just know we'll be friends. My mother and father used to be teachers themselves, so we'll probably have a lot in common."

Mr. Phillips was quite unmoved by her outburst of friendliness.

"You will take your seat there, next to Diana Barry." He said in a very mechanical way. If robots were around in those days, all the children in the schoolhouse would probably have mistook him for one.

Anne's face was a sight to behold when she realized what Mr. Philips had told her. She hoped that he had done this out of the kindness of his heart, not because there was just a free space there.

"Oh, thank you Mr. Philips! Diana Barry is my bosom friend!"

Mr. Philips just raised an eyebrow and pointed towards the half-free, two-person desk.

Gilbert was also quite excited about where Anne was being placed. He was on her left in the next desk while Diana was on her right in same desk.

"Everyone, study your math lessons for the day. I must work with my Queen's student now." He said as he stood up and a cheesy grin crawled along his face.

Everyone at this point heard a giggle in the back of the room, and it came from none other than Prissy Andrews.

Gilbert couldn't help rolling his eyes at this. He liked a bit a romance in life, but what Prissy Andrews could find in a fish-headed google-eyed jerk like Mr. Philips was one of the questions of the 19th century.

Anne took her seat and opened her math book and attempted to study. She was attempting to complete a little bit of arithmetic, which was a bit tough on creative mind. Mr. Philips, the fount of all wisdom, was sure she'd get into it after a while. However, he never took the time to help her out. Oh no, he was flirting with Prissy in the back of the room. Anne, however, was determined to be a wonderful pupil, and she was trying her best to catch on.

Gilbert was now absolutely determined to speak to Anne, but he had to wait until Mr. Philips was distracted with Prissy enough so he wouldn't notice.

Unfortunately, Gilbert wasn't really one to respect the rules and regulations of Mr. Philips. This got him in trouble once, but it was really all about timing when he should obey, when he should pretend to, and when he should just flat-out not. He wasn't going to be able to talk to Anne for a few minutes yet so he wisely went back to his studying.

"The mean of four numbers is 25. Three of the numbers are 17, 23, and 25. What is the forth number and the range of the four numbers?"

Gilbert just stared at the annoying math book for a little while.

_This is absurdly easy. I just know it is._

Gilbert continued to stare at it...

_If only I could remember the difference between means and ranges. _Gilbert thought as he let out a sigh of exasperation. He looked up and saw what looked like a braid of long golden hair.

It was. It happened to belong to a girl with the name of Ruby Gillis, who was prone to hysterics if something happened that she didn't expect at all. Wouldn't it be fun if...

Gilbert put his hands in his pocket and searched for a sewing pin that he had found on his mother's table. It didn't take long to find it when he felt a sharp pain in his index finger.

_Why don't I think a bit more when I'm looking for something SHARP! _He lectured himself inwardly and wiped a little blood on his pant leg.

Gilbert studied the little pin and thought about how much fun it would be if he pinned his little friend into Ruby's hair. Oh, it would be hilarious! To him at least, not to Ruby.

_Gilbert, you must treat all ladies with respect. You are to protect them and honor them. Don't tease them. Especially not little girls. _The words of Gilbert's father ran through his mind from a discussion they had had a few weeks ago.

A twinge of guilt ran through Gilbert as dropped the pin. He knew it wouldn't be right and he realized that he certainly wasn't thinking of Ruby's feelings. He was thinking only of his own.

Gilbert hung his head again and tried to study his math.

He didn't get very far into it when he heard a shrill gasp beside him and Moody Spurgeon laughing. He had held a large toad very close to Anne's face and waited for her to look up. He got his fun in seeing Anne scared half to death. It wasn't long at all until all the other boys in the class were laughing. Even Gilbert, with the teachings of his father not far back in his mind, couldn't help letting out a boyish snicker.

Mr. Philips raised his head from the back of the room and cleared his throat, causing the whole classes attention to be drawn towards him.

"Alright class, take out your notebooks. Memorize the dictation from yesterday." Mr. Philips commanded, "And Moody, I'll give you the honor of doing yesterday's and today's work." He sarcastically tacked on, much to Moody's disapproval.

Moody looked back at Gilbert with a grin that was quickly put to an end by Gilbert's glare, which apparently had been stronger then Gilbert thought.

"Anne?" Gilbert whispered as he looked towards her. She was opening her lesson book towards the dictation of the day before in curiosity. Anne looked at the page before her, but soon looked towards the window. The sun had come out and she just knew that the birds _must _be singing on a beautiful day like this one.

"Anne!" Gilbert whispered again leaning towards her, hoping she would hear him.

Anne awoke from her daydream when she heard her name. She looked towards Diana (who was diligently trying to memorize the unimaginative dictation), and then towards a bright faced Gilbert Blythe.

"Yes?" She asked in a whisper as she turned herself around, trying not to look very surprised.

"I'm Gilbert Blythe." He said to her with a friendly smile.

Anne smiled knowingly.

"I saw you yesterday." She laughed slightly, "I'm sorry about the three-legged race."

"Oh, that's quite alright. You won it fair and square." Gilbert replied, "I'm really sorry about him." He said as he slightly pointed towards Moody. "He can be a handful."

"That's alright. It just scared me since I didn't know if that was a real toad or his face." Anne said with a slight giggle, "But that's very uncharitable. I just never did get along with reptiles very well, Gil. Do you mind if I call you Gil? Ever since yesterday I've thought of you as 'Gil' in my head. Do you mind?"

"No, I don't mind."

"Oh, I hardly know you at all yet, but I can sense that you must be a kindred spirit!" Anne exclaimed.

Mr. Philips rapped on the desk in front of him with his pencil.

"What have I told you all?" He asked as Gilbert and Anne turned around quickly, "I will keep order in my classroom, and I hope I don't have to keep Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley after school writing on blackboards. We don't want that, do we Gilbert?"

Gilbert took up his book again and looked back towards Anne, who didn't dare look back at Gilbert.

He didn't really mind Mr. Philips that much anymore, now that he learned that his bark is _mostly _worse than his bite. Gilbert didn't care at all right then. He had done what he had wished to do all day. He hoped and prayed he had a new friend.


	5. Innocent Yet Guilty

__**Ok, I just wanted to post this little message along with a chapter. I'm posting these lyrics at the beginning of the chapters, but I just want everyone to know that I don't necessarily agree with everything an artist does or sings about. As a lot of you know from a chapter that's coming, I'm a Christian and I discern things according to the Bible. That said, some of the stuff I really like. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter and the chapters to come! I'll probably be posting a bit more throughout the week. =)**

* * *

_"I don't think you're knowing how hard this is for me  
I'm not the type to say sorry constantly  
So I swallowed my pride and I got on my knees  
But still you just stood there as you stared at me  
Your ego is getting old  
How did you get so cold?"_

_~ "Ice" by Lights_

_Chapter 5:_

It seemed like absolutely forever until school ended for Gilbert. When Mr. Phillips finally dismissed his students, Anne and Diana both collected their books and went outside to eat their lunch with the other girls as Gilbert did the same thing with his pals. Gilbert smiled and nodded towards Anne and Diana as he collected his books and began walking away.

Now, Mr. Phillips was a teacher with an iron hand (his dream was to be known throughout Avonlea as the "Iron Teacher"), and he had some rules that were to be obeyed at all costs. If they were not, a poor victim got the most humiliating punishment possible. One of Mr. Phillips' more strict rules was that all of his students were to be seated and ready for school by the time he came back from lunch.

Gilbert hurriedly ate his sandwich and ran over to Mr. Bell's spruce grove, which was the most exciting place to be after lunch. Little Jimmy Glover would climb one of the old spruce trees and keep an eye on Mr. Phillips' home to see if he was coming back. All the other kids talked, played games, and made plenty of "dares". They always got back to the school just in time.

Gilbert didn't spend any time making dares today. He was looking for Anne, and he found her at the end of the field with some of the other boys and girls. She wasn't talking with them though. Instead, she was picking small lilies and singing to herself.

Gilbert smiled at this. She looked so content and he almost didn't want to disturb her. Nevertheless, he still wanted to know her a bit better.

"Hello Anne!" He exclaimed in a friendly tone.

"Oh, hello Gil!" She said back as she continued to make a wreath out of her lilies.

"I'm really sorry about getting Mr. Phillips' attention while we were talking. I didn't mean to make you the center of attention." Gilbert apologized.

"I know you didn't. I guess I'll just have to learn Mr. Phillips' rules the hard way." She said with a small laugh as she put the finished wreath onto her shining red head.

Gilbert and Anne had quite an enjoyable walk talking about how she liked Avonlea so far and how Gilbert had only gotten back a few weeks ago. They also had a good laugh about Prissy Andrews and Mr. Phillips until one sound broke the little world of paradise they were living in together:

"Come on guys! Master's coming!" Jimmy Glover yelled at the top of his lungs as he quickly started trying to climb out of the old tree.

"Oh no." Gilbert whispered to himself as he watched all the other children run towards the schoolhouse as quick as their legs could carry them. He then turned towards Jimmy and saw that the little boy was caught would never have a chance at getting back in time.

"Anne, you've got to try and get a head start. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can!" Gilbert shouted as he ran off towards the tree. Anne didn't need to be told twice.

It didn't take very long for Gilbert to reach the tree, and when he did all the news coming from poor Jimmy made his stomach churn. The latter jumped down the last few feet and met Gilbert with a thud.

"Gilbert, I've done something terrible!" Jimmy nearly yelled as he got back on his feet. He looked like he seen a ghost.

"What is it?" Gilbert asked hastily. "It better be good!"

"Gilbert, I had my head turned. I was watching a game of catch and wasn't watching Mr. Phillips' house! He's getting close!"

"You're kidding." Gilbert mumbled. They barely had enough time when Mr. Phillips started from his house. This was either going to be a close call or they were about to feel their teacher's wrath.

Gilbert didn't wait for a reply. He ran off at the fastest pace he had probably ever set. His life wasn't on the line, but who knew what the punishment may have been. He had to face it. He was doomed.

"Anne! Anne!" He yelled when he wasn't far from her. She made the dreadful mistake of turning around to see why he was calling.

"Anne! Don't stop, just run! He's not far!"

It didn't take to long until they both reached the schoolhouse with about five other boys. They ran in, set their belongings onto a bench and walked in to see the worst sight they had seen in a long time. A sight that gave little Jimmy nightmares for a week: Mr. Phillips with his ruler in his hand giving them an icy glare.

"A little late, are we?"

All the outlaw students quickly found their seats. It certainly wasn't efficient to punish nearly half of the whole school, so Mr. Phillips had to find a scapegoat: A certain girl with a freckled nose and red hair, and what he thought was a ridiculous looking wreath of lilies hanging at an angle on her head.

"Anne Shirley, since you seem to be _so very _fond of the boys' company we shall indulge your taste for it this afternoon. Take those ridiculous looking flowers out of your hair and sit with Gilbert Blythe." Mr. Phillips unjustly commanded.

Gilbert had become Anne's friend and she really liked him, but to sit with a boy in school was terribly immodest. Oh, how the other boys and girls would laugh at her humiliation! Anne froze stiff at the thought and just stared at Mr. Phillips with large gray eyes.

"Did you hear what I said?" Mr. Phillips demanded of her.

"Y...Yes Sir. But I didn't suppose you really meant it..." Anne stammered in embarrassment.

Mr. Phillips raised his nose a little higher in the air in he usually did.

"Ah. I assure you I did." He said with immense sarcasm, "Obey me at once." He said through clenched teeth.

Anne slowly took off her little wreath and started to walk towards Gilbert. Gilbert was also quite embarrassed about sitting with Anne. Half of himself was dreading the whole thing, thinking about how Fred Wright and Moody Spurgeon would laugh at him. The second half of him was quite happy. However, all the rest of that happiness vanished in a moment when he saw Anne's pale face.

Gilbert quickly looked over at Diana to she her reaction. She was just as pale as Anne. Her heart ached for her bosom friend and you could see it in her eyes.

Anne's lower lip trembled as she slowly sat down and buried her face in her arms. She would never forgive Mr. Phillips for this!

"Turn your history books to page sixty-three and read today's section." Mr. Phillips mechanically said as he went to "help" Prissy Andrews study again.

The class silently went back to their schoolwork, thinking about the strange event with Anne and Gilbert. Not many of the children were interested about the works of some person that died four hundred years ago. They were quite interested in the present.

Gilbert opened his books and _tried_ to study, but his eyes kept going back to the redheaded girl beside him. He desperately wanted to make her feel better, but he was afraid his attempts would be futile.

Gilbert's mother really loved her son, but to Gilbert the ways she expressed it could be quite embarrassing. That morning she had given Gilbert a little candy heart that said in red letters "You are sweet". The bad part about it was that she had given it to him right in front of his father who laughed and joked about it. Gilbert was never going to be able to live that one down. In that moment, Gilbert realized that he could use that little candy for his own purposes.

Gilbert's mother had placed it in his shirt pocket that morning, but he had forgotten about it while he had been "studying so hard." That time spent "studying" was really used looking at Anne across the aisle.

Gilbert took the now valued treasure out of his pocket and slipped it in to Anne between the wooden desk and her arm. Anne had apparently noticed that Gilbert had slid something towards her and she started toying with the candy though her face was still hidden.

It was apparent when she raised her head that she had spilled a couple tears, but she was certainly not going to let Mr. Phillips know. She wiped her tearstained cheeks with the back of her hand and cast her eyes down on the small pink object.

Gilbert held his breath in anticipation.

Anne slowly read the little candy heart and then looked at Gilbert with a soft smile.

"Thank you, Gil." She whispered to him. Her gray eyes seemed to light up with joy and determination now.

Gilbert just smiled.

"I'm sorry, Anne." He told her in a soft whisper, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think I will ever be able to forgive Mr. Phillips." She replied, raising her aristocratic nose at a higher angle than it had been. She had returned to her normal self.

Gilbert and Anne gave each other one last smile before they both went back to their schoolwork. Gilbert thought that this must have been the best day of his life.

It seemed like years until the school day ended. Every couple minutes one of the kids would look behind their shoulder to see if Anne and Gilbert were still there. It seemed that if a sixteen year old boy and thirteen year old girl were sitting together in the Avonlea school it must have been an unpardonable sin.

When Mr. Phillips finally dismissed school, all the children except Diana, Gilbert, and Anne ran out of the school like tigers that were dying to get out of a cage. Anne quietly walked towards her desk and started taking everything out of it. Pens, ink, books, slate, testament, and arithmetic. Gilbert and Diana stared on, trying to decipher Anne's intention.

Gilbert walked over to Anne, who was quietly stacking all of her books in a neat little tower and laid his hand on her shoulder. She turned around to face him with the eyes of a humbled and embarrassed girl

"Anne, I'd like to walk home with you and Diana, but if you'd rather me not..." Gilbert said softly.

"It's all right, Gil. You're my friend, and just because Mr. Phillips humiliated us both doesn't mean that our friendship can't continue." Anne said, showing more grit then Gilbert had anticipated. Gilbert let a little smile come across his face.

"Can I take some of that stuff for you? It's quite a way home and you'll get tired walking home with all of that." Gilbert asked politely. He heard the instruction of his father in his mind, and he wanted to make his dad proud.

"Thank you, Gil. That's very kind of you."

They walked out into the school's yard where there were a few boys loitering and a few girls gossiping. Anne averted any of the other girls gazes in embarrassment and Gilbert kept his mouth shut and nodded at any of the boys that happened to look his way.

After they had walked far enough away out of the earshot of the other children, Diana was the one to break the awkward silence:

"What are you taking all those things home for, Anne?"

"I'm not coming back to school here anymore." Anne said flatly. Diana gasped and Gilbert turned his head quickly in surprise.

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Diana asked in worry.

"I do. I'll _never _go back to school with that man as our teacher again." Anne said with a zeal that would make an American soldier in George Washington's Continental Army blush.

"Oh, Anne!" Diana exclaimed with tears welling up in her dark brown eyes, "Please stay! Mr. Phillips will make me sit with that horrid Gertie Pye because she's the only girl sitting alone."

Gilbert was silent in all of this. He couldn't believe that Miss Cuthbert would ever let her do it.

"Will Marilla let you stay home?" Diana was able to choke out through her tears.

"She'll have to. I'll take my lessons at home." Anne replied.

Anne stood like a stone wall, and not a thing in the world was going to budge her. It came to the point where Diana kissed Anne goodbye and asked if she could come see Anne everyday, which Anne told her that "she can come anytime she wishes". Diana turned towards her house and waved a sorrowful goodbye to her bosom friend.

Anne and Gilbert walked in silence for a few minutes, both thinking upon the events of the day. Gilbert was the one to speak this time.

"I'm going to miss you, Anne. We all will."

Anne kicked a pebble and watched it fly across the narrow dirt road.

"I will too." She whispered.

"Then please stay." Gilbert pleaded, as Diana did.

Anne drew in a deep breath and looked up in front of her towards Green Gables.

"No, Gil. Mr. Phillips can't do that to us; to any of us. Oh, I know you don't mind as much as I do, but I don't think the boys will be so horrid to you. You're their hero, Gil! I'm just Anne Shirley." Anne said this in such a sad voice it would have made Diana burst into tears.

_They'll tease me terribly..._Gilbert thought, ..._and there's nobody like you, Anne._

"Anne, I have the chore of driving the cows back in at my home." Gilbert said, "Our property is next to yours, and I'd like to see you then."

"That's fine, Gil." She said as looked up at him with a smile, "I'll look forward to it."

Gilbert dropped Anne's books off at Green Gables and started his own walk home. He was looking forward to bringing the cows in for the first time, but he absolutely dreaded going to school the next day.


	6. Vanity of Vanities

_"Don't give up  
It's just the weight of the world  
When your heart's heavy  
I...I will lift it for you_

Don't give up  
Because you want to be heard  
If silence keeps you  
I...I will break it for you

Everybody wants to be understood  
Well I can hear you  
Everybody wants to be loved  
Don't give up  
Because you are loved"

_~ "You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" by Josh Groban_

_Chapter 6:_

"Anne Shirley, you unlock the door this very minute!" Marilla Cuthbert said with a slightly raised voice. She was starting to get exasperated, which was NEVER a good sign.

"Go away, Marilla." A soft voice in the other room said with a whimper, "I'm in the depths of despair."

"Oh, fiddlesticks. Now you open this door at once!" Marilla commanded in a voice that would make anyone obey. Anne had only heard this voice a couple times while at Green Gables, and it wasn't going to be her last time to hear it.

_Why did father have to put a lock on this door when he built this house? _Marilla thought.

A soft click coming from the door's lock meant that the guilty little culprit had finally obeyed her orders. Marilla turned the doorknob and walked into Anne's room to find a large bundle underneath the covers on the bed. Why would she even hide there if she knew she would be caught?

"Are you sick, Anne?" Marilla asked anxiously.

"Go away! Please don't look at me." Anne pleaded from under her heavy quilt.

"Oh, don't you play innocent with me." Marilla commanded again, "You know that you were supposed to have tea ready for Matthew and Jerry by the time I got home, and you were supposed to deliver that dress pattern to Mrs. Lynde! I went by her house when I got back from the Aids meeting and she said that she hadn't seen you anywhere."

Marilla heard a muffled cry from under the quilt. It didn't appease her anger to know that Anne felt bad. She had deliberately disobeyed her and was going to have to be punished for it. There was no excuse.

"You know that you are supposed to..." Marilla sentence was cut off short when she pulled the covers off of Anne and saw a shocking sight.

"A-Anne Shirley..."

Anne slowly looked up with her lower lip quivering under Marilla's gaze. Oh, if only she had listened to Marilla and hadn't been so vain!

"What have you done to your hair?" Marilla asked after she had calmed down quite a bit after seeing such a_ strange _sight. Her voice was much quieter now.

"Marilla, I thought nothing was worse than red hair, but _green _is ten times worse. You don't know how utterly wretched I am." Anne said with her wet green hair clinging to her cheeks.

"I little know how you've gotten into this fix. But I demand that you tell me." The shock was now gone from Marilla and the commanding voice returned.

"I dyed it." Anne whispered guiltily.

"Dyed it! Dyed your hair! Anne Shirley, didn't you know that it was a wicked thing to do?" Marilla exclaimed.

"Yes, I knew it was a little wicked, but I thought that I could make up for it in other ways. But I was _so very _tired of red hair and the remarks I get about it." Anne admitted as a tear dropped off her elegant nose, her one organ that she was very proud of.

"Well, if I'd have decided to dye my hair then I'd have dyed it a decent color at least. I wouldn't have dyed it green." Marilla said with more sarcasm in her voice than anger.

"He promised me it would turn a lovely raven black!" Anne exclaimed.

"Who did? Who on earth are you talking about?"

"The peddler I met on the road today." Anne said with a new flood of tears coming when she saw Marilla's anger had returned.

"Anne Shirley, how many times have I told you not to..." Marilla started to say, but it was no use. Anne fell down onto her bed and let her tears flow freely.

"What's the use?" Marilla said as she sat down onto the bed, "You couldn't have gone anywhere with hair like that, and I'm glad you didn't go downstairs either. Jerry Boute would tell his mother about it, and then Mrs. Lynde would hear about it. I'd rather not have all of Avonlea know that you dyed your hair green." Marilla said this partly to herself and partly to Anne.

Anne just continued crying. It was a comfort that at least she wasn't going to be punished for disobeying, but it didn't return her green hair back to her original color.

"I hope this has opened your eyes to see where your vanity has lead you." Marilla tacked on in the hope that Anne would learn a very good lesson from this incident.

Anne rolled over onto her side to face Marilla. Marilla did have a twang of pity in her heart for Anne when she saw her tearstained face, but she did her best to hide it.

"What shall I do? I'll never be able to live this down. Oh, how I wish people wouldn't say such nasty things about my red hair. How will I ever be able to face Gil with hair like this, or Diana even?" Anne mourned.

Marilla was overcome by pity at this moment. She knew what it was like to be told when she was little that she looked homely and skinny, so she could understand what Anne was going through.

"Well, I know I should be angry. I should be furious. What a way to behave yourself! And to do it _knowing _it was a wicked thing to do?" Marilla scolded Anne, not with anger in her voice anymore. She was just being firm and honest. "But if you promise me that nothing of this sort will happen again I won't say another word about it."

Anne slowly rose into a sitting position, trying to comprehend what Marilla was saying. She could only hope...

"You're not going to send me back to the orphanage?" She asked with hope in her gray eyes that were red and puffy from crying so hard.

"I've come to a decision. The trial is over and you will stay at Green Gables."

Anne's eyes lit up like diamonds as she rose onto her knees and held her hands together.

"Oh, Marilla!" She gasped as she wiped her wet hair away from her face and stared at the middle-aged woman she had grown to love.

Marilla felt uncomfortable under Anne's excited eyes. She finally stood up and walked towards the door as if to leave, but she turned around and said something that Anne would never forget for as long as she lived.

"I think you may be a kindred spirit after all." Marilla said with a joyful smile. Anne was the happiest girl on Prince Edward Island at that moment, and the Island has probably never seen a joy like that since.

Not much time was wasted on taking care of Anne's hair. Anne was taken into the kitchen where a large mirror was so that Marilla could see what she was doing. Anne sat in an old wooden chair while Marilla cut her poor green hair. It had to be cut far since Anne foolishly decided to use the whole bottle of dye.

"I shall never, _ever_, look at myself again." Anne said as she sadly shook her head.

Matthew was in the kitchen, and he felt that he needed to cheer his little girl up somehow. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

"Well, you're our girl now. And the prettiest one on this side of Halifax." He said with a smile that only Matthew could give. Anne smiled, laid her head on his shoulder, and gave him a one armed hug.

"All right now. Stop this nonsense." Said the practical Marilla as she broke Anne and Matthew out of their father-daughter relationship hug. Anne's face went back to being sad for a while as Marilla seemed to keep cutting.

Gilbert missed Anne that day. He was quite depressed since Mr. Phillips had gotten on his back for daydreaming and he wanted to see Anne. She could cheer up anybody she wanted to, but he was always cheered up by her, no matter what mood she was in.

Gilbert faithfully waited at the fence for Anne after he had driven the cows back in, and he was quite excited when he did see her. She seemed to look a bit different...

"Hello, Gil!" She said as she approached the fence. Gilbert looked at Anne's new hair "style" and thought it was very cute. Her hair went down to her neck and the hair on the side curled and caressed her freckled cheeks.

"How are you doing, Anne?" Gilbert politely asked, not expecting anything more than a "Fine, thank you."

"Oh, better than I've ever been before in my life." She said wistfully, looking towards the purple sunset, "Gil, I'm staying at Green Gables!"

Gilbert took this sweet news like he had never taken anything before. He was so happy. It was a happiness that he felt for her mostly, but he was happy beyond words himself.

"Anne, I don't know what to say. If I just told you that I was happy it wouldn't be adequate. I feel a happiness for you that is beyond words." Gilbert told her. He couldn't imagine how happy she could be.

"I understand, Gil. I've felt that way before, I feel that way right now."

There was a silence as they watched a flock of birds pass over into the purple clouds above them. Gilbert looked back at Anne with a smile.

"Your hair is very becoming, Anne. I really like it."

"Do you really mean it, Gil? Or are you just being polite?" Anne asked.

_Does she really think that I would pay her a compliment just to say I wasn't being honest with her?_

"Anne, I really mean it."

Anne's eyes shone brightly as she smiled. In that moment she couldn't care less what Josie and Gertie Pye would think of her new look.

"Anne, we miss you at school. I think everyone does." Gilbert said in a serious tone, "Please come back."

"Gil, I'm coming back. I've talked to Marilla about it, and I miss everyone too. She said I could go back tomorrow." Anne said excitedly. "Just think, Gil! We'll all be together again; you, Diana, and I. Will you walk to school with us, please?"

Gilbert had never been happier. Anne was staying at Green Gables, She was coming back to school, and she wanted him to walk with her and Diana to school!

"I'd be happy to... Anne." Gilbert said with a twinkle in his eye that Anne never forgot.


End file.
